Day-to-night nails: Nail trends that work at the office

Jun 15, 2012 11:31 AM by Kori Ellis

Posted in Beauty & Style / Manis, Pedis & More

Baby blue

Blue is one of the hottest colors of the summer — taking inspiration from the ocean. And though the brightest of blues may not be office-appropriate, certainly some of the baby blue, cornflower and other pale shades are a nice choice for work. A light shade of blue will also complement just about anything you are wearing — from a gray business suit to a floral dress.

Mint green

Another shade of nail polish that is suitable for summer and for the office is mint green. We have seen a lot of mint green in the fashion world, and it's carried over into beauty trends as well. For daytime, a coat or two of mint polish is just perfect. To go from office to a night out, add a thin layer of metallic polish as a top coat to give your mint nails a new dimension.

Check out these mint green mother-daughter outfits >>

Sand

Sand and surf are sizzling themes for summertime with many nail polish companies putting out new shades of sand-hued (and blue) nail colors. Sand (or cream) nail lacquer is perfect for work — no matter how conservative your environment might be.

Metallic

Metallic nail polish is all the rage right now. And fortunately, several companies have created metallic polishes with a more matte (rather than high gloss) finish. This allows metallics to work for daytime and still looks terrific when you go out at night.

Learn about these ways to sparkle up your nails >>

Pale pink

Though bright fuchsia might turn some heads, you can definitely get away with pale pink nail polish at work. Even some of the glitter or confetti shades of pink are suitable for the office, especially if you work in a more creative environment.

Ombre

Ombre nail polish is hot right now, and it's a trend that will work for both the office and a special night out. For work, a subtle ombre manicure is your best bet. It will be noticed... but not in a bad way.

Statement manicure

Another unique trend that has emerged this year is the statement manicure — painting your ring finger nail a different color than the rest of your nails. Though this look can be very dramatic (all your nails pink, except the ring finger being neon orange), it can also be more subtle. Consider painting all your nails in a pale shade of pink with the ringer finger in lilac or the aforementioned light blue.